Due to the pandemic in 2021, we celebrated International Women’s Day with a series of free online events, featuring a live Q&A panel discussion on The Impact of Covid-19 on Women.
The virtual IWD celebration began with Restorative Mindfulness and Breathing, a yoga class with Amanda Evans to set a positive tone day.
Thereafter, four inspiring female leaders shared their experiences, ideas, and solutions to the negative impact of the pandemic – both in Brighton and beyond – in an hour and half discussion on The Impact of Covid-19 on Women. The panel discussion closed with a live Q&A. Mary-Ann Stephenson, (Director, Womens Budget Group), Anita Johal (Black and Minoritised Communities Domestic Abuse Worker, RISE UK), Mandu Reid (Leader of the Women’s Equality Party) and Harriet Braithwaite (Social Researcher, recently completed an MA on the impact of COVID-19 on BWC and its service users) joined BWC’s Director, Lisa Dando, who chaired the online panel discussion.
In the afternoon, Charlotte Vincent (Vincent Dance Theatre) and three guest artists presented a discussion on the numerous challenges to the careers of women artists – the political environment, childcare issues, enforced domesticity of the COVID era and more when considering intersectional identities. Women Artists – #choosetochallenge was BSL/English Sign Language interpreted by Sue MacLaine.
Brighton-based author Anna Jefferson then read an extract from her debut novel, Winging It, followed by a Q&A. Published by Orion in 2020, Winging It has been described as a ‘hilarious and relatable story of early motherhood’.
After the book reading, Anna Jefferson joined writer Sam Johnson for a thirty-minute online creative writing workshop aimed at mothers of young children. Anna and Sam are launching Writing Around the Kids in partnership with New Writing South as a course for mothers in Crawley. They intend to roll out the project in other regions, so do check out the website and get in touch with them if you’d like to get involved. writingaroundthekids.co.uk
The Telephone Theatre: BWC collaborated with Brighton Dome to bring ‘You don’t Know Me But…’
A 25-minute telephone theatre experience to IWD audiences. Using live music, live foley, beautiful writing and immersive sound effects this is a unique approach to socially distanced theatre.
Meet Vick. Care giver, Mother, Partner and Daughter. You’ve almost certainly walked past her in the street, stood behind her in a queue or driven past her in your car. Today, take the time to delve a little deeper. Experience a day in her life. Hear her thoughts and feelings as a busy day at work slowly uncovers a deeply buried memory of care.
This intimate one-woman audio play is performed live over the phone, giving audience members a unique and moving theatre experience in their own homes at a time when live face-to-face theatre performance is not possible.
The IWD programme included a selection of short films, available to watch on YouTube on Saturday 6 March:
Mid Life: The Skin We’re In
A short film by Diverse City (available with captions and Audio Description)
‘This skin is my surface – my rind – and I am the fruit, still juicy inside.’ From the team that brought you the OFFIE winning play, Mid Life, comes a new short film.
A poetic look at how to celebrate, survive and thrive in your own skin. This vital, uplifting film explores the expectations we place on women’s bodies, and how we can rise through them to a deeper appreciation of ourselves.
Created by Jackie Beckford, Claire Hodgson and Karen Spicer
Directed by Lucy Richardson
Produced by Grace Okereke
With original music by Kandaka Moore
Cinematography by Monika Jastrzębska
From our partners and friends: Not On My Watch
Not On My Watch is a project from the Old Police Cells Museum, situated beneath Brighton Town Hall. There are a series of free online films about strong women in Sussex who have been in the police, or in the hands of the police! The film series is aimed at domestic violence shelter groups to watch during lockdown but can be viewed by anyone.
Written by volunteers, these films cover a broad range of female experiences concerning the police:
Mary Hare (1866-1945)
Christiana Edmunds: the Chocolate Cream Killer
Queer Suffragettes: Censorship and Opposing the Law
The 1960s – pioneers of the “Petticoat Patrol”
100 Years of Women Policing in Sussex
This project was made possible by an emergency grant from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund.
Brighton Women’s Centre’s annual International Women’s Day festival is a staple of Brighton Dome’s calendar.